It is not just a synonym of sleepless nights and days spent sweating. Years of exposure repeated to heat waves could also accelerate biological aging, especially among manual workers, residents of rural areas and people who live in the community with a reduced number of air conditioners. To reveal it is a study published in the magazine Nature Climate Changewhich throws new light on the long -term effects of the climatic crisis on public health.
What the study says and what we know so far
If so far, scientific research had focused mainly on the immediate impacts of heat waves, with increases in hospitalizations and deaths, especially among the elderly, the guided study created by the University of Hong Kong shows that the extreme heat can leave deep and lasting traces in the body, accelerating the biological age of people, that is, the real condition of health compared to the personal age.
The research team analyzed the data of 24,922 adults in Taiwan, with an average biological age of 46.3 years, followed through medical examinations carried out between 2008 and 2022
The results show that any significant increase in exposure to extreme heat corresponded to an acceleration of aging between 0.023 and 0.031 years. Numbers that, at first glance, seem to be content but which become relevant if projected on long times and on the entire population. In particular, manual workers, more exposed to heat, have recorded an average increase of 33 days of organic age more every two years.
The effects of the extreme heat comparable to those of alcohol or smoking
The authors point out that the increase in heat waves, increasingly frequent, intense and lasting due to climate change, can have consequences on a global scale. According to experts, long -term damage related to extreme heat are comparable to those of risk factors known such as smoking, alcohol, poor nutrition or sedentary lifestyle.
The study also highlights environmental inequalities: those who live in rural areas or in the community with poor availability of air conditioners are more vulnerable to the effects of the heat. For this reason, the authors urge public policies capable of strengthening the resilience of the most exposed populations, with targeted interventions and a more equitable distribution of health resources.
However, it is good to reiterate it at the moment, a study not yet exhaustive. In fact, the data collected do not include factors such as the time spent outdoors, the quality of domestic environments or individual habits in the use of air conditioners. Further studies, observe the authors, will be necessary to expand and consolidate the evidence.